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Sapporo Teine

Sapporo Teine is one of the best hills close to Sapporo consisting of two connected areas, Highland and Olympia. It is one of the best places to start skiing in Hokkaido as the conditions are good, the facilities modern, and for après-ski frolics there is always Susukino.

The advantages of Teine and skiing in Sapporo include the fact that the ski field is easy to get to, has excellent powder conditions for most of the season, is very affordable due to the joint ticket and time based pricing (especially when transport is considered), has great night skiing and superb views over the city, superb off-piste powder areas in the Highland area below the ropeway, and a good beginner section in the Olympia area.

On the downside, the lodge and restaurant facilities are not good, white out conditions are not unusual, the vertical drop is not very high so you need to spend a lot of time on lifts when concentrating on black runs, and the 6 kilometer run is too flat to enjoy - skiers will need to use poles/stocks and for snowboarders getting from Highland to Olympia via the connecting course is a real pain at times.

Sapporo Teine

Sapporo Teine Olympia: This is the lower section of the hill and is highly suitable for beginners and those not ready for intermediate slopes. The ski school is a little pricier than the equivalent instruction in places like Hakuba or Shiga Kogen, possibly because of a lack of competition. Most of the Dosanko residents of Sapporo can ski well having learned as children (often at Teine, Sapporo Kokusai or Moiwa), so the ski schools cater more to those from out of town. The instruction (Japanese only) is fairly good, some first time Discovery students have gone from being unable to stand up, to fairly decent crashes in half a day.

It is called Olympia because of its role in the 1972 Olympic Games. The tower used for the Olympic flame is still standing and is an easy reference and meeting point. This tower is not the one used in the Opening Ceremony of the Games, but was placed here due to its visibility. Olympia was the site used for the 1972 Bobsleigh event won by Swiss (4 man) and West German (2 man) teams respectively. The bobsleigh course was used for many years but unfortunately Hokkaido did not have the population of bobsleigh enthusiasts or the economic resources to maintain the course as a world class facility. When the 1998 Olympics required the construction of a new facility in Izuna Kogen just north of Nagano City for the bobsleigh and luge events the Japanese Federation switched its investment from Sapporo and the former bobsleigh run was dismantled.

The Olympia area can get crowded on weekends, so the Highland site offers better opportunities.

Sapporo Teine

Sapporo Teine Highland: To get to Highland you use the high speed gondola. It is fairly new and there is rarely any waiting time involved. Once you get off you have the choice of either taking the ropeway (slow but with high capacity) to the peak, or warming up with some lower runs before heading to the top using the chairlifts.

After fresh snowfalls the Ropeway option is a godsend. From the top you have the option of either taking the groomed intermediate trail down to the black runs (which offer good moguls depending on the time of season) or going under the ropeway for some excellent and in some places steep off-piste skiing and snowboarding through the trees on very good powder snow. If you above intermediate level and weather conditions are good, these runs are as good as any backcountry areas in Niseko or Nagano, with the exception of length. No matter which route you take, the bottom arrives far too soon. This is one of the reasons why Highland is frequented mostly by experienced skiers, especially Sapporo locals.

Another advantage of Highland is that there is very good instruction available due to the influence of Miura Yuichiro. Unlike Olympia further down the hill, English language instruction is also available. The main disadvantage of Highland is getting back to Olympia via the very flat connecting course. It is almost cross country in some sections and particularly frustrating if you need to slow down to avoid beginners at any stage.

Sapporo Teine

Nighter, Freestyle & Snow park: Sapporo Teine is open and floodlit at night. The conditions are usually good, but whiteouts early in the winter and icy conditions late in the season need to be prepared for - buy a balaclava & good wear, and get your edges tuned. It is damn cold, but the views of the lights of Sapporo are beautiful. Teine is a good place to go for after study/work fun or to warm up for the weekend. Snowboarders can use any part of the hill and there is a good snowpark with plenty of jumps and rails (including wide rails for beginners), and a halfpipe late in the season.

How to get there

Take the JR train from Sapporo station to Teine, then take the bus (260 yen) or a taxi (about 1000 yen). Takes only about 45 minutes from Sapporo station to chairlift. JR sells a package that includes return train bus fare, ski rental (if required), and lift pass. Very good deals available.

Study in Sapporo - It is now possible to study Japanese in Sapporo either during the Sapporo Winter Japanese Course or the Academic Year in Japan Program.
Click here for more information regarding studying Japanese in Sapporo.

Tours - The Japan Discovery Tours visit Sapporo Teine ski area.
Click here for more information regarding when Discovery visits this destination.

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Sapporo Teine

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Opening hours, prices, booking procedures, schedules etc are subject to changes beyond our control. This site is just a guide, and we advise that you always check and confirm in advance. Suggestions, additions and correction of errors are always welcome. Please contact us.